In the video recorded in May at a private fundraiser, Romney can be heard saying that 47 percent of Americans will vote for President Barack Obama because they rely on government support. He said that his "job is not to worry about those people."

The comments have earned Romney criticism from both sides of the political aisle, with analysts saying they show him to be out of touch with the concerns of most Americans.

Romney was not on the campaign trail Tuesday, but Ryan held an energetic rally in Dover. In an interview with News 9 after the rally, Ryan repeated Romney's explanation of the remarks.

"He said it was an ineloquent way of describing the point we're trying to make, which is we need economic growth. We need job creation," Ryan said.

Romney was also criticized for saying on the video that he would have a better shot of winning if he were born to Mexican parents. Romney's father was born in Mexico to American missionaries.

"I think he was just talking about the way the media can treat some of these things," Ryan said. "I think that was more of a flippant comment. The point we are trying to make is that we believe in having an opportunity in society."

When Ryan was responding to the comments, the complete video of the event had not yet been released. It has since been put up on the website of Mother Jones, the magazine that obtained the video.